Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana

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There have been 20 million arrests since 1965 for the possession of marijuana, also known as cannabis. The amount of crime and arrests for possessions of the illicit drug has increased due to the prohibition. Cannabis was a major cash crop for the industrial production prior to its illegalization. It has been estimated that the United States spends approximately $7.7 billion each year to prohibit the use of marijuana alone. Currently the number of people incarcerated is six to ten times higher than European countries (NORML). Today the United States wastes billions of dollars to fight against the war on drugs, for the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of people, and etc. It’s also brought a raise of violence and crime relating to the dealing and production of the drug. Marijuana should be legalized because its ban has been futile in preventing illicit production, regulating it would allow new development in medical treatments, and would give a boost to the economy. The illegalization of the drug has a much more negative impact then it does well, in fact it’s pushed drug cartels to produce more of the drug because of the high demand and the millions of dollars they’ll make from profits.

Prohibition has been futile in preventing illegal production and has increased the number of violent crimes regarding the production of marijuana in the black market. Illegality has increased illicit production:

“Despite continuing increases in the amount of cannabis produced domestically, much of the marijuana available within the United States is foreign-produced…Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have relocated many of their outdoor cannabis cultivation operations in Mexico from tradi...

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...their lead, “There's so much interest in what Uruguay is doing, because there's so much awareness that our current approach isn't working. If Uruguay does this well, which I'm confident it will, there will be other countries that follow suit soon” (Hetzer). With the legalization of marijuana and cannabis United States would be able to receive several benefits. But in order for that to happen there needs to be a large organization in which people “take action for marijuana law reform”. “NORML is the world’s oldest, largest and most respected cannabis law reform organization that is principally known for championing the legalization of cannabis in America from nine percent public support in 1970 to fifty percent today” (NORML). We need the time and help from thousands of assiduous individuals to legalize cannabis and make a positive change for the United States.

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